Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally ChampionshipPreview, round seven: Historic Tour of Flanders

Round seven the 2007 Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship is the third and final asphalt event on the schedule, the Historic Tour of Flanders (8/9 September). The closed roads of the Roeselare region of Flanders in Belgium provide a unique challenge for the crews and the trip across the channel is always a popular event on the BHRC schedule. With only the Trackrod Historic Rally to follow Flanders, the championship battle is finely poised.Current overall championship leaders David Stokes and Guy Weaver will be seeking maximum points in their Escort Mk1, but they know that good results for their two major rivals will keep the title race wide open when they head to Yorkshire in early October.With six strong scores already recorded, Stokes/Weaver really need to win category 2 to improve their overall total as final positions are decided on the best six results. If Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride Porsche 911) win category 1 on both of the remaining events, they could win the title back, while two more category 3 wins for Jimmy McRae/Andy Richardson (Escort Mk2) could also grab the title. It really is too close to call just now.Each of three title contending crews face significant rivals in Belgium and it is Nutt/McBride who perhaps face the biggest task against the Sunbeam Tiger of Patrick Watts/Elgan Davies. Having posted two retirements on the previous two asphalt events this summer, Watts will hop across the channel from his home in Kent determined to win in Flanders.Leading the chase of the Tiger and the Porsche will be the Lotus Cortina of Neil Calvert/Arlene Cookson, and they should bag maximum class B4 points if they don’t hit problems. Meanwhile, a tremendous battle is in prospect in class B2 as the Mini Coopers of Clive King/Bob Ward, Terry Cree/Richard Shores and Mike Barratt/Jody Watson take on the MG Midget of James Stait/Gill Cotton. In B1, Gordon Cameron/Sheila Grimshaw return to the championship in their Mini Cooper.Stokes and Weaver have two key rivals in category 2, and either could come between the championship leaders and a maximum score. Having missed the Harry Flatters Rally due to holiday commitments, Steven Smith is back in his Porsche 911, with Howard Pridmore on the pace notes as John Nichols is away on holiday. It’s been a rather mixed year so far for Smith, so he will be looking for a strong finish in Belgium.Meanwhile, making a welcome return to the BRHC for only his second rally of the season will be Jeremy Easson, with Alun Cook on the pace notes in his Escort Mk1. He should be quickly onto the pace and will be right in the contest for category 2. Other strong runners in the category include the Escorts of Craig Salter/Preston Ayres, Frank Cunningham/Arron Forde, Neil Parsons/Chris Parsons and Graham Samuel/Tony Phillips. Adding strength to the Porsche contingent in category 2 will be the 911s of Peter Lythell/Keith Fellowes and Paul Drinkall/Roy Brown.The Escort of Peter Egerton/Russ Langthorne heads class C3, while the C2 battle could be one of the highlights of the rally. For the first time on asphalt this year, the big three C2 crews will go head to head and it could be any of them taking the spoils when the rally finishes early on Sunday afternoon. Ken Forster/John Stanger-Leathes, John Worthing/Bill Robertson and Vince Bristow/Dean Mitchell are all tremendous competitors and there will probably be very little to choose between the trio of Escort Mk1s. However, the BHRC return of Robin Shuttleworth and Mark Midgley in their Escort Mk1 could make it a four-way contest.In category 3, two crews stand out as the major threat to McRae/Richardson. Fresh from victory on the Harry Flatters a month ago, Gareth Lloyd will be very strong in his Escort Mk2. With regular co-driver Ryland James away organising an international event, Ian Oakey will partner Lloyd and they will be bang on the leading pace. Meanwhile, a dark horse could be the category 3 Porsche 911 of Adrian Kermode/Liz Jordan, which rejoins the BHRC for the Belgian event. Martin Freestone/Michelle Calvert will lead the chase in their Escort Mk2.Finally, class D3 looks set to be a two-way contest between the Mk2 Escorts of Chris Shooter/Bev LeGood and Richard Lane/Frank Richer.With a number of non-BHRC registered crews from Britain and a strong local entry, a field of over 70 historic cars will start the Tour of Flanders on Saturday morning.The Historic Tour Flanders is organised by the Autoclub Midden Vlaanderen. For more details about the event, please visit the website at: omloopvanvlaanderen.be